Abstract
RATIONALE: To determine the impact of asthma severity on the total cost of asthma treatment for patients in the Valencia region public-health system.
METHODS: This open-label, multicentre, observational study involved retrospective collection of clinical and socio-demographic data (NCT01114906). Healthcare resource use during the previous 12 months was assessed from patients’ clinical histories, using specialist and primary care records. Population and prevalence data were used to establish the number of participating centres and patients recruited in the three provinces of the Valencia region (conditioned randomised selection). Local source costs were updated to 2012 prices.
RESULTS: 261 patients (females 69.7%; age [mean ± standard deviation] 47.2 ± 18.3 years) were recruited from the Allergology and Pulmonology Units of four hospitals in Alicante, Castellón and Valencia. The average cost per patient was €1423 (95% CI: 1261–1585). Pharmacological treatment (54%) and medical visits/hospital admissions (33%) were responsible for the greatest proportion of the total costs. The average costs per patient with intermittent, mild, moderate and severe asthma were €780 (95% CI: 616–944), €1030 (95% CI: 880–1180), €1747 (95% CI: 1444–2050) and €3111 (95% CI: 2300–3922), respectively. Asthma severity had a significant influence on costs related to treatment (p<0.001), diagnostic tests (p=0.005), visits/admissions (p<0.001) and total mean costs (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Asthma severity and control are the main determinants of costs for patients with asthma in the Valencia region. Therapy optimisation is key to achieving improved asthma management and to reduce the cost burden to the public health system.
- © 2013 ERS
